Meta shuts down thousands of fake Facebook accounts spreading polarizing political content

Meta said Thursday that it removed 4,789 Facebook accounts in China that targeted the United States by posing as Americans and spreading polarizing content about U.S. domestic politics and U.S.-China relations.

In its Q3 Adversarial Threat report, Meta, which owns Facebook, said it was able to identify and remove the accounts before they gained traction with real people and communities.

The accounts included fake photos, names and locations in an effort to appear like average American citizens expressing views on U.S. politics. In reality, the accounts originated in China, Meta said.

The large network of accounts posted real content copied from politicians and other people on other platforms. That content represented polarizing views across the political spectrum, suggesting the purpose was not to support one political side but rather to sow further division.

Meta noted this is contrary to other efforts to interfere in U.S. politics in the past, which spread fake stories, because these accounts posted real content. In the report, Meta included examples of posts copied verbatim from politicians, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.).

Meta highlighted the danger of the foreign political campaigns, particularly ahead of the 2024 presidential election in the United States.

“These networks still struggle to build audiences, but they’re a warning,” said Ben Nimmo, who leads investigations into inauthentic behavior on Meta’s platforms, The Associated Press reported.

“Foreign threat actors are attempting to reach people across the internet ahead of next year’s elections, and we need to remain alert,” Nimmo added.